Ch.334Chapter 334. Questions

* * *

“How is it? Are you ready?”

“……”

Without answering, I grabbed her wrist as she reached for the wine glass on the table.

For a subordinate general to boldly grab the wrist of a sovereign—it was a situation where my head could roll at any moment, but—

Instead of punishing me, Serpina merely looked at me as if I were a drowned mouse.

“No. Not alcohol. We need to handle the situation first.”

“I know. I know, but… I can’t organize my thoughts.”

After that, without even being asked, she began to freely pour out her story.

“The name of Einhart… it’s too heavy. For the sake of those who rushed to this name, for those who entrusted their will and lives to this name, I must never fall… but this way, I’m afraid that all the precious people around me, and finally myself, will be devoured by the name Einhart…”

—I don’t know what to do, Swen.

Finally letting everything go, she was colliding with me, filled with nothing but herself.

Not the princess of Einhart, not the sovereign of Serpina’s army, not the witch and tyrant everyone feared, but Serpina herself.

…Yes. I’ll admit it. This is what I wanted.

I wanted her not to shoulder everything alone. I wanted her to share even a small portion of that burden with me.

I must never push away her hand that she has finally extended.

“Don’t worry.”

I deliberately spoke with strength in my shoulders.

If even a small pretense could make me a pillar for her to lean on, I could boast as much false bravado as needed.

“Have you forgotten? I have the ability of the Mind’s Eye. Even if the world has turned its back on you until now, they can no longer ignore you because I’m here. You know that well, don’t you?”

“Your Mind’s Eye can’t know everything…”

“But I can at least know what will lead to death and what will lead to survival. So, I absolutely won’t die. And you absolutely won’t die either.”

That’s a lie.

What leads to death and what leads to survival… if I could know that immediately, I wouldn’t have had to suffer like this.

Still, in the end, I’ve somehow been choosing the path to survival well… so I probably don’t need to feel too guilty.

“…Really?”

“Of course.”

“Swen, you won’t die? You won’t… disappear from my side?”

Though she appears quite emotional now, Serpina was fundamentally a very rational woman.

She might think she’s just acting, but humans can’t even act without a solid foundation.

To drive the point home here, I couldn’t just casually agree.

“Serpina.”

This seemed like the first time.

The first time I’ve revealed my inner plans to someone else like this.

But now, I had to.

“The sovereign I serve is not you.”

“…!!!”

“However.”

I placed my hand on Serpina’s shoulder as I spoke.

“I will not leave your side. And I will not let you be devoured by the name of Einhart. Only this is the truth.”

Unless Serpina’s safety was guaranteed, I had no intention of returning to Lunarian’s army.

“So, believe my words now. If you believe my words… I will never leave your side, no matter what happens.”

As I said those words, I remembered the past.

The promise I made with Luna in the empty Zeilandt Castle—if you believe my words, I will give you the world.

Since I spoke based on results, that promise would still be valid now… but… thinking that I can’t make the promise to give the world to Serpina, I suddenly realized the fear of the fate predicted by Intelligence 100.

Serpina didn’t answer for a long time, just staring into my eyes like a child chasing clouds, and then…

“…Alright.”

—I’ll believe you, Swen. I believe in you.

“Thank you.”

“Yes…”

I held Serpina in my arms again, stroking her head and back.

I could easily feel her trembling stop.

While taking a brief moment to breathe, I quickly assessed her current situation.

Seeing how someone as incredibly strong as her had collapsed like this, Jenna’s death must have been quite shocking.

Well, she consciously avoided mentioning other subordinate generals but often talked about Jenna. Perhaps Jenna was one of the few people she thought wouldn’t betray her trust.

Come to think of it, the advisor inauguration ceremony was held not for me but out of respect for the former advisor Jenna. That means she was someone Serpina cared about.

While I wanted to praise her for just standing there, she was in a position where she couldn’t afford to be like that.

“How is it? Can you do it? Serpina the sovereign… in front of everyone, just as you’ve been doing?”

Serpina quietly steadied her breathing without answering, then-

“With you helping me by my side… I can do it. No, I will do it.”

“Good. That’s the lord I serve.”

I firmly grasped Serpina’s hand.

She didn’t refuse.

People would be horrified if they knew. Speaking casually to the sovereign, grabbing her wrist firmly, giving instructions that were almost like orders—if they saw this, her reputation would plummet from cruel witch to a foolish female ruler manipulated by one man.

Of course, I had no intention of being caught—but honestly, I wouldn’t care if we were.

Because then I would just have to show them.

—What it means to be manipulated by a man with Intelligence 100.

Whose choice was right will be clearly revealed in the future.

* * *

“You’ve arrived, my lord!”

When we climbed up to the walls of Balhart Castle, we found Irene using it as a control tower, giving various instructions.

“Irene. You’ve worked hard. Please report the situation.”

“Yes!”

Serpina had returned to her usual cold and ruthless self, Serpina von Einhart the tyrant, as if her earlier breakdown had been a lie.

They say everyone has their own mask, but I couldn’t help being amazed anew.

“Including Castle Lord Jenna, eight armed officers appear to have been killed. It seems Mary was behind everything, and I’ve urgently dispatched scouts to the surrounding territories. I made these decisions on my own authority—”

“That’s fine, Irene. I express my gratitude instead. If you took authority while I was away, consider your will as good as mine.”

“…Yes, understood.”

“How are the surrounding territories? Are there any that have joined the rebellion?”

Irene shook her head at my question.

“Fortunately, it doesn’t seem so yet… but we can’t rule out the possibility they might bring soldiers to invade. Even if we depart now, it would certainly take a long time to lead troops from Balhart Castle to Einhart Castle.”

Not many troops were stationed in the northern continent.

While the rebels couldn’t gather many troops, they could still invade with a small force if they wanted to.

If they were to forcibly conscript the territory’s residents, things would get troublesome in many ways.

“Um… and.”

At that moment.

As Irene spoke with a serious expression—far away, a handsome blonde man was approaching with a pale face.

It wasn’t difficult to recognize that person as Ian. The problem was, I couldn’t recall Ian ever having such a desperate expression before.

“Ian. What’s wrong? You don’t look well.”

Ian couldn’t even raise his head, then knelt down and pressed his forehead to the ground.

“…Please kill me, my lord.”

“Rather than saying such things out of nowhere, I think it would be more helpful to calmly explain what happened.”

“……”

It was Irene, standing next to Ian, who continued the explanation.

“Based on the sovereign the rebels have installed, we can infer who is leading the rebellion.”

“Who is it?”

“Nathan Al Caski.”

…Huh?

Nathan Al Caski… the Al Caski family started the rebellion?

Hearing that, I felt like I understood why the rebellion occurred at Einhart Castle and why it proceeded so smoothly.

And also why Ian was pressing his head to the ground and begging to be killed.

“They claim they can no longer stand by and watch the rule of Serpina, the false heir, from their position as the only remaining noble family.”

“Please explain the detailed situation.”

“Yes!”

According to Irene’s explanation, the rebellion was led by Nathan Al Caski.

He was the younger brother of Ian’s father, the current head of the Al Caski family—in other words, his uncle.

Apparently, he had been living a comfortable life, taking care of just what needed to be taken care of, but when Ian, the family head, left his position due to military service, he quickly seized the hegemony and then rapidly took over Einhart Castle using the Al Caski family’s capabilities.

“Excuse me, Lord Ian. I have a question.”

This time, I was the one who spoke.

“Please ask, Advisor.”

“According to General Irene, how exactly did your uncle seize hegemony within the family? From what I hear, he sounds more like an old man relegated to the back room. Even if you, the family head, were absent, could the entire estate really follow that man’s will?”

That wasn’t my only question.

Let’s say he somehow took control of the family. But to then immediately start a rebellion?

No matter how many times I thought about it, it was a stupid decision. We have asymmetric warfare mages here, and all the elite soldiers are gathered here too. What could be more foolish than carrying out an action that would inevitably be suppressed?

“…That is—”

Before Ian could finish his sentence, a woman with a familiar face walked over from the distance.

A woman who could probably answer all my questions.

“May I explain?”